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• Weighty gift

• Reeling it in

• High birth rate to boost San Joaquin County population

• Regional Roundup

• Correction

November 2nd, 2009

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

November 7th, 2009

• Lodi High graduate was at Fort Hood

• Lining up for flu shots in Lodi

• Tour packs buses as birdwatchers admire Sandhill cranes

• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks

• Daytime thieves targeting Lodi homes

• Lodi High School rally featured on 'Good Day Sacramento'

• Out of control

• Homicide suspect Anthony Hubbard arraigned

• Regional Roundup

• New Lodi Memorial rule to combat spread of H1N1: Visitors must be older than 16

November 6th, 2009

• Short sales make up nearly half of Lodi market

• Regional Roundup

• Lodi man accused of smuggling drugs, weapons for inmates at state prison

• 'I-5 Strangler' sentenced to 6 terms of life

• Jury convicts Acampo man of torture, assault of his girlfriend

• Young girl is 200,000th person to assemble AIDS, HIV care kit

• Woman in wheelchair struck by car

November 5th, 2009

• A lower Lodi Lake

• Streetside scarecrows

• San Joaquin County considers moratorium on new Williamson Act contracts

• Speakers address Lodi Unified School District budget shortfalls, plea to keep programs

• Armed robbers still targeting Lodi shops

• Regional Roundup

• California voters have final say over $11 billion water bond

• Weekend bus service to continue until Lodi City Council makes decision

• Paul Tebbel shines spotlight on sandhill cranes

• Your complete guide to Sandhill Crane Festival

• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy

• Man wanted in Acampo homicide gives up to San Joaquin County Sheriff's detectives

November 4th, 2009

• Candle fire

• Rep. Jerry McNerney sets telephone town hall for Thursday

• Jason Behrmann is unanimously named Galt's city manager

• Regional Roundup

• Galt City Council argues over ordinance hiring residents

• San Joaquin County sues state over prison hospital planned for Stockton

• Big win for Allen Baroni in reclamation election

• California sends Democratic loyalist John Garamendi to Congress

• Bicycling father raising awareness of teen suicide

• Lodi City Council weighs raising fares to restore some bus service

November 3rd, 2009

• 500 attend service for Kyle Coumas

• Correction

• Galt considers ordinance that would require city contractors to hire locally

• Regional Roundup

• Have you seen a missing guide dog puppy in Lodi?

• Galt man dies after weekend Highway 12 crash

• Jason Behrmann is top candidate for Galt city manager

• Deputies name suspect in fatal Acampo shooting

• Clarification

November 2nd, 2009

• Downtown Lodi trick or treat

• Public Meetings

• Correction

• Kyle Coumas funeral today

• 27-year-old man shot to death Saturday night in front of Acampo home

• Regional Roundup

• Group investigates reports of haunting

• Sandhill Cranes Festival comes to Lodi next weekend

• Lamborghini lovers gather for show, fine wine, luncheon in Woodbridge

• Lodi's 'Biggest Loser' Christy Richesin runs 5K Halloween race

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• Bible is entwined with American civic life (135)
• I predict: A conservative tide will rise in 2010 (74)
• David Diskin is first to give an invocation under new city of Lodi policy (70)
• The Treaty of Tripoli hoax (60)
• Universal health care solves big problems (54)
• Here's what my father knew about the assassination of JFK (35)
• Stuck in neutral? Hardly! (35)
• Words from our forefathers (27)
• City of Lodi staff looking into possibility of limiting number of taco trucks (24)
• Majority cannot deprive the minority (24)

ADVERTISEMENT

Granting wishes

Lodi Adopt-A-Child strives to provide for needs and desires of local children

For Jerry Glenn, the benefits of being a part of Lodi Adopt-A-Child are priceless.

"Just to see the smile on the kids' faces when they get their Christmas basket, that's what keeps us going," he said.

Glenn became involved about 15 years ago through his friendship with Dennis Lewis. Recently, he was elected as president of the organization. His goal is to expand the program for local children.

"It provides some way of returning back to the community what the community has given to me," he said.

Q: What will be your role as president?

A: To build a more viable and larger board and to develop a financial support for the organization.

Q: What has been the most memorable event for you?

A: There have been so many things that have touched my heart.

One that comes to mind is a letter we received from two little boys whose mother had passed away. They were living with their grandmother in a little one-bedroom house on the Eastside. They asked if there was anything they could do because their grandmother cried all the time. The funeral expenses were unpaid. So, we said we'll see what we can do.

We went to the funeral home and explained the situation and asked if they would take 50 cents on every dollar. They said they gave money all the time to the organization and that they would just cancel the expenses. We worked with the housing authority to get them an apartment. We bought the kids school clothes. We have been in touch with them and they are all living happily ever after.

Q: What is the biggest event the organization holds?

A: By far, our Christmas program. We provide Christmas presents for 1,400 to 1,500 kids.

Q: How can Lodi citizens help the organization?

A: By adopting a child at Christmas. By making a financial contribution to a child and helping us with the shopping spree. We need chaperones to take kids shopping for school clothes.

Q: What are some of the organization's future plans?

A: Once we get a solid board — we don't have very many — and know we've got reliable financial stream, we'd like to do a computer lab and a homework program. We have a Boy Scout troop that each month is becoming self-reliant.

Q: What activities does the organization do?

A: Our biggest push is Christmas, then we do the annual shopping spree, where we take 100 kids who are nominated by the school principal shopping for school clothes on Sept. 6. We do need people to volunteer to chaperone kids, because the parents are not allowed. We do provide each child with an adult and each can spend up to $125.

We also make money available to kids who can't afford to go to science camp. We put on a golf tournament that is always held on the last Monday of August — this year will be our ninth annual. We need golfers badly for the tournament.

Q: What is the overall goal of the organization?

A: To grant a child's wish, one child at a time. I guess it's to let kids know there's a community out there that knows that they are there for whatever they are. That's empowering to a child.

Q: Which celebrity would you most like to meet?

A: I guess a person I'd like to sit down with over a beer would be Colin Powell. He has led a very interesting life of an African American who went to West Point but didn't graduate and had to go through the burden of being an officer. Also, the fact that he was one of the joint chiefs of staff. It makes it all the more remarkable.

Q: What is the best decision you have ever made?

A: That's an easy one — accepting Jesus Christ as my Savior.

Q: What is your all-time favorite movie?

A: My all-time favorite movie I guess would be "The Sound of Music."

Q: If you were the president of the U.S., what would you do to make life better?

A: I would take the leaders of both parties of the House and Senate and knock their heads together until they could agree to make this country more important than the parties.